Ben Orford – English Sloyd Knife

I have been using Ben Orford’s carving tools for a while and have been working towards making a full set. When this arrived I was working on a kuksa and put it to use straight away.

kuksa and sloyd

The English Sloyd knife (sloyd being the Swedish name for craft) is made from 2.2mm O1 stock, the blade is 3″ long and was designed to meet the requirements of a simple craft knife being ideal for carving and craft work. The handle is contoured and made of Elm, so it will match the rest of your whittling kit if like me you have a selection of Ben Orford’s crook and pick knives. I found the handle very comfortable for using for a few hours at a time and to power through the rough shaping of a spoon blank, I also take it camping when I need something more than a Swiss Army Knife but nothing as big as my bushcraft knife.

It arrives very sharp and 6 months down the line I have not had to sharpen it yet, I just give it a regular stropping when I am using it. Having watched Ben prepare his knives before dispatching, this extra attention makes all the difference between getting a sharp knife and getting a knife that I know I will be able to use as soon as it arrives.

Ben has been experimenting with different blade styles and a full tanged version so whatever your preference you will find an English Sloyd Knife from Ben Orford to meet your needs.

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What does Adventure Mean to Me?

I realise that Adventure is measured by different standards by different people, there is no universal standard. For example going to a climbing wall the adventure for my friend was to test himself on the latest high-grade routes, for me it was all about learning to trust my rope at height and trying 5 more moves when I reached the height I felt comfortable at. Heights are not where I feel most comfortable at but I really enjoyed climbing at the wall. For others it’s just another activity.

For me adventure is about experiencing something new and achieving a personal goal. Adventure comes in many forms, big & small, can be found anywhere and you can choose to experience it or not. So look forward to your next adventure whatever it may be.

On the roof of the Oslo opera house May 2014

On the roof of the Oslo opera house May 2014

This is my response to the ‘What does Adventure mean to you?’ competition run by Berghaus.

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Podcast Episode 19

The Bushcraft Show 2014 is almost upon us.

Episode 19 with 10 days until The Bushcraft Show 2014 we have some contests that will close on the 21st May, so you will have to be quick to be in with a chance of winning a specialist instruction session with Cody Lundin or Bear Grylls t-shirts. We discuss mobile power solutions to power your smart phone at camp and Paul Kirtley kicks off a new feature where he shares some tips on navigation. We look forward to meeting you at The Bushcraft Show 2014 at Catton Hall on the 24th to the 26th May 2014.

The_Bushcraft_Show

Links:
Bushcraft and Survival Skills Magazine
The Bushcraft Show
Cody Lundin
Paul Kirtley’s Blog
Frontier Bushcraft
Bear Grylls by Craghoppers

Download via iTunes OR Via our Feed

[powerpress]

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Second International Secret Spoon Swap

I had joined the Spoon Carving, Green Woodworking and Sloyd group on Facebook just after the cut off date of the first spoon swap and I was really happy that another one was arranged towards the end of 2013, especially as I had been working on my carving skills with Terry from I.E.A.T Scouts.

I made a few different types of spoon while waiting for the draw to be made and when I got an address for a Welsh recipient I decided to send a Welsh love spoon I had carved from Lime. Spoons were sent all over the world and I received a birch one from Belgium made by Peter De Schepper, I use it quite often for eating porridge.

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I am looking forward to the next one and seeing all the beautiful spoons that will be sent around the world, maybe I will even be lucky enough to swap spoons with Barn the Spoon or Jögge Sundqvist?

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Podcast Episode 18

The countdown to The Bushcraft Show 2014 begins.

Episode 18 brings us one episode closer to The Bushcraft Show 2014 and we manage to grab an interview with Simon & Olivia. Questions answered in this show include how does Bear Grylls sign off his emails to Simon and what flavor sandwich will you get made if you went to Lofty’s for lunch. We find out what this years show will have in store and announce an exciting contest to win a tuition session with Cody Lundin at the shows new location at Catton Hall on the 24th to the 26th May 2014.

The_Bushcraft_Show

Links:
Bushcraft and Survival Skills Magazine
The Bushcraft Show
Cody Lundin

Download via iTunes OR Via our Feed

[powerpress]

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